Libya Pet Vet

A common condition.  Easy to treat.

Causes

Exposure to any number of viruses can result in, among other side effects, a bacterial eye infection.  One kitten can easily spread the infection to its littermates while nursing.  This bacterial infection in kittens is common and highly curable.  But left untreated, the infection could spread throughout the eyeball and socket, permanently blinding the kitten.  If feral kittens are left untreated and lose their eyesight, they will eventually starve to death because they cannot find food. 

It is also possible that the source of the bacterial infection is congenital, carried by the mother and passed to each litter of kittens.  If this is the case, and you have some way to determine whether or not a previous litter has been afflicted with the infection, the mother should be spayed.   

This should not be confused with a viral eye infection such as the herpes virus (FHV-1) which is more difficult to treat and which may become a chronic condition, flaring up throughout the cat's life.  A viral infection could potentially lead to damage of the cornea or blindness.

Treatment

Before treating any animal, always first consult with a licensed veterinarian and have the animal thoroughly examined to ensure that you are dealing with a bacterial infection. 

Treatment of this common bacterial eye infection in Libya is easy and inexpensive. A minor infection may be cleared up in 5-7 days with twice daily eye drops.  A more serious case, like the one here, may require drops 3 times per day for one month.  Antibiotics should be administered on a careful schedule as determined by your veterinarian.  Failure to continue the antibiotic eye drops for the period of time required to eliminate the infection could result in a resurgence of the infection and could make it harder to eliminate once treatment resumes.  The good news is that, by following the treatment plan, the kitten will have its eyesight restored to perfect health, as long as the infection is not so far along that ulcers have scarred the cornea. 

Examination by a qualified veterinarian is critical to ensure that you are dealing with this common, treatable eye infection and not another condition or disease.  Some eye problems may require a different type of antibiotic or possibly a medicine that includes steroids.  Using the wrong type of eye drop may cause scarring of the cornea and some degree of permanent blindness.  In the case detailed here, the vet also gave the kitten a shot of antibiotics under the skin, however, this is the only time in my experience that an infection warranted the additional shot.  The antibiotic shot dealt a strong blow to some of the bacterial problems associated with infection and gave us a head start on treating the kitten's eyes. 
(Continued after photos....)

The Kitten Photographed Here

The case of the kitten pictured here was more serious than usual and took a longer treatment period than you are likely to encounter.  I have rescued many kittens with this eye infection and, aside from this one, never treated the eyes for longer than 7-10 days with twice daily drops.   In Libya, medicines for domestic pets are not readily available and pet owners must purchase medicines designed for humans.  Your veterinarian will tell you which brands and dosages are appropriate for your pet.  In this instance, the vet prescribed Gentamicin drops (Colircusi brand from Spain preferred over a brand imported from Jordan), designed for human use, available in Tripoli, Libya, from the local pharmacy.  The ingredients of this 10 ml bottle were listed as  "Gentamicin (sulphate) 3 mg., with excipients: s.q. benzalkonium chloride as preservative."  The vet instructed me to be absolutely certain NOT to purchase anything that includes cortisone (or any steroid) as an ingredient for treating this kitten's condition.  I was told to clean the eyes with saline solution three times per day and apply the drops exactly three times per day (no more and no less) for one month.

What To Expect and Problems to Avoid

When you first encounter an affected kitten, its eyelids may be sealed closed by dried pus and its pus-filled eyelids may be bulging out.  The first step is to very carefully clean the eyes, using saline solution and cotton balls.  During initial efforts to clean the eyes, the very sight of pus oozing out of both the eyes and nose (via the sinus cavity) may lead one to fear that the condition is so severe that the eyes must be already damaged beyond repair.  However, once the eyes are cleaned thoroughly, it is possible to examine the eyeballs underneath the swollen inner eyelids and determine whether or not vision is impaired.  I have not yet encountered a kitten whose eyesight was permanently affected, despite extremely advanced infection, although surely it happens.  I have even treated a kitten with minor ulcers on the cornea; with medication, the ulcers diminished over time and one eye was left only with a faint milky spot (slight scarring) on the cornea.  Sometimes, the cat may continue to experience occasional watering eyes throughout the remainder of its life.

In the first day or two of cleaning the eyes and applying drops, some remaining pus may get pushed into the nasal cavities and come out the nostrils.  You can see this was the case with the kitten pictured here.  Once you begin administering the antibiotic eye drops and the source of the pus is finally halted, the drying matter inside the sinuses may clog the nose and temporarily reduce the kitten's ability to smell.  Without the ability to smell, the kitten may lose interest in its food and begin to weaken from hunger.  

If this happens, dip your finger into a little moist cat food and gently force feed the kitten by wiping the small glob of food across the tongue.   You never want to use any object that will scrape the delicate roof of the mouth or gums and lead to infection, so your finger is the best option.  Once the food touches the tongue, the kitten will be interested in swallowing the food but still may refuse to eat on its own initiative.  You may need to force feed in this manner for a day or two until the nose is completely cleared of the dried pus.  The vet may instruct you on how to safely dab minute quantities of water into the nostrils to help soften and dislodge the pus.  The kitten will sneeze it out over time as it tries to clear its nose.

If the case is severe, as it was here, the inner eyelids may be sore and sensitive during the healing process and the medicine and saline may sting or burn.  The kitten may struggle and scratch so as to avoid having stinging drops applied. In order to successfully perform the treatment, you may need to wrap the kitten in a towel, covering its paws and leaving only the head exposed in order to apply the drops.  Immediately after each treatment, pet and praise the kitten and feed it a treat so that it does not come to view the treatment as some form of punishment.  You might time meals to come right after the treatment so that the kitten associates the two and becomes quickly distracted by a tasty meal.  If you allow the kitten to believe it is being punished or purposely tormented, it may eventually develop aggressive behavior or inappropriate responses to being handled by humans.

Success!